


Strategic Ceasefire

by Ethereal_Red



Series: Tentative Allies [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-22 22:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6095997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethereal_Red/pseuds/Ethereal_Red
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Working with the enemy isn't always easy. Sometimes it's easier to think of them as an ally, at least for a little while.</p><p>Spoilers for the Jedi Knight story, Shadow of Revan, and Ziost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strategic Ceasefire

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this a while ago but took it down for some tweaking. It was originally supposed to be an 8-part fic, 1 chapter for each class, but I'm not sure when I'll get around to finishing the other chapters so I figured I'd just throw this one up.

“I still can’t believe you made me a cannibal,” the Jedi said, shaking his head as a woman gave them a fearfully disgusted look and quickly herded her children out of their path. 

“It was Theron’s idea,” Lana said, trying – and failing – to keep the amusement out of her words.  “You are a prominent public figure and it’s possible people have heard of you even here.  Who would look at a cannibal pirate and believe he is actually a Jedi, one of the ‘Republic’s greatest heroes’, no matter how close the resemblance?” 

“I understand, I really do, but…a _cannibal_.” 

“I acknowledge he may have had a bit too much fun creating your cover identity,” Lana decided not to mention that she’d had just as much fun adding her own embellishments to Theron’s stories while spreading the gossip around Raider’s Cove.  “But if it makes you feel better, I’m sure you can maintain the charade without actively indulging in acts of cannibalism.  People at the cantina are already saying you, um, dug out Gorro’s heart with your bare hands and ate it raw.  Apparently you consider Rodian hearts to be quite the delicacy.” 

The Miraluka’s eyebrows – were they still called eyebrows if they belonged to a species with no eyes? – rose above his mask.  “Oh yes,” he said in a voice as dry as the Dune Sea.  “That makes me feel much better.”

Lana tugged at her collar and ducked her head to hide her smile.  “If we are to go by its proper – albeit archaic – definition, it is also theoretically impossible for you to explore any latent cannibalistic desires on Rishi since you are almost certainly the only member of your species on this planet.” 

“So as a Near-human, it’s only Near-cannibalism if I bite off Theron’s finger and eat it for breakfast?  That’s good to know.”   The Jedi’s voice had gone back to its usual emotionless calm but Lana was fairly confident he wasn’t being serious… perhaps?

It wasn't until much later that she realized she'd just bantered with someone who, once the Revanites were gone, would return to being one of her greatest enemies.  The Jedi appeared to be thinking along similar lines – their conversations quickly returned to a purely professional level.

* * *

 

_“Look,” Theron said with a slightly strained smile, “I’m just saying, it’ll make us feel a lot better if you lose the lightsaber.  He already promised he‘d work with you, right?”_

_“Is that really necessary?”  Lana returned the smile with an equally strained one of her own, drawing on the tricks she’d perfected on Korriban to try and to look as nonthreatening as possible. “Surely I’m not as intimidating as you imply.”_

_Keeping up her act was… difficult, much more difficult than she’d expected. The self-control that normally came naturally was currently shaky at best; she ached to ignite the familiar orange-red blade and throw up a barrier between herself and the painfully Light presence coming down the corridor.  Surely the agent could understand her reluctance to trust a Jedi’s word when so many of their Order seemed to find loopholes in their precious Code when dealing with Imperials?_

_Surely Theron, whose unease at her proximity was quite obvious, could understand her desire to be armed when meeting the Jedi directly responsible for the defeat – and even defections – of respected Sith more powerful than she’d ever be, Lord Scourge and the Emperor himself among them?_

_The doors slid open and Theron visibly relaxed, turning to face the newcomer with a relieved expression.  “There you are! Good to see you made it out alive.”_

_“I do have a vested interest in preserving my physical well-being. Just ask - uh, don't ask Doc,” the Jedi said, giving Theron a faint smile and tilting his head questioningly towards Lana._

_“This is Lana Beniko,” Theron gestured at her.  “Dedicated Imperial citizen and…fully armed…Sith Lord.”_

_“But you don’t need to worry about that,” Lana looked at the Hero of Tython’s impassive face, made all the more unreadable by the blindfold-esque mask obscuring most of it, and gave him a small wave._

_The Jedi nodded politely.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”_

_Lana returned the nod and, uncertain of where to direct her gaze on the Jedi’s face, turned her eyes back to Theron (who seemed to recognize her dilemma and gave her a vaguely amused look).  It was certainly one of the more awkward situations she’d ever been in, but perhaps this truce might work out after all?_

* * *

_Nineteen._

Lana vaulted over a fallen tree and ran, trusting her instincts to guide her safely as blaster bolts burned the air around her. The Force rose to her call, coalescing in brilliant sparks around her fingers, and she threw out her hands. Lightning crackled, danced between trees and seared through armored flesh.

_Fourteen._

A muffled curse, a rustle of leaves and the sharp cracks of gunfire; Theron appeared around the corner with a blaster in hand, clothes disheveled and face slightly scratched but otherwise unhurt. Two corpses lay on the ground behind him.

_Twelve._

A wookie’s roar shook the forest around them, the sound punctuated by four clicks of a crossbow and four thumps as each projectile found its mark. 

_Eight._

Bright flashes filled the air as blaster bolts bounced harmlessly off a pale blue lightsaber blade. The Force shifted and fell, molded to the fall of a steel-clad foot, and the gunmen faltered, stumbled, and were swiftly cut down.

_Zero._

Lana’s hand flew up and the smell of corrupted ozone filled the air before she managed to rein in her instincts and quickly dropped her arm. The Jedi didn’t acknowledge the brief flare of power, though Lana couldn’t help noticing he kept his lightsaber ignited just a bit longer than necessary before thumbing the switch and returning it to his belt.

There was a long moment of silence.

“So!”  Theron holstered his blaster and clapped his hands.  “I know the weather’s great and all, but we should probably get back to the safehouse before more Revanites arrive.”

“Agreed,” Lana gave the Jedi an apologetic look. He inclined his head with a slightly rueful smile.  It wasn’t ideal, but it was something.

* * *

 

Sith Lords stood shoulder to shoulder with Jedi Knights, the two sides of the Force temporarily at peace as Imperial and Republic forces mingled and moved through the wilderness of Yavin 4. 

Lana watched the starfighters rise into the sky and soar towards the temple, silently admiring how the Empire's dark corners contrasted against the Republic’s bright curves as she walked back to the clearing that had become their coalition’s makeshift war room. 

“Master Satele and Darth Marr are overseeing the deployment,” the Jedi said, tilting his head towards Lana in what she’d begun to recognize as his way of indicating where his 'eyes' were focused.  “Theron and Jakarro went to check on the perimeter sensors.  They should be back shortly.”

Lana nodded, bracing herself against the table and taking a deep breath.

“Do you believe…”

She hesitated, then closed her mouth and shook her head at the Jedi’s inquiring hum.

“No, never mind.”

The Jedi looked curious but nodded and turned back to his datapad, his deceptively relaxed body language belied by the power wrapped around him like a coiled snake.

Soon that power would be turned on Revan and, should they succeed, redirected at everything Lana held dear.

* * *

 

“You shouldn’t be here.”

It was a true statement, but in a situation such as this… who was to say what should and should not happen?  Certainly not Lana, not when she struggled with more duties than she could count and the Em— _Vitiate’s_ malicious presence probing her mental defenses.  Her head throbbed with a dull pain that only intensified as she looked at the Hero of Tython, the former ally and natural enemy who knelt beside a Jedi Master’s corpse while the world fell apart around them. 

“I shouldn’t,” the Jedi said in a soft voice, his face still turned towards the man he’d just killed.  “But I am. What will you do?” 

Had this been another day, Lana would have called for reinforcements as she channeled all her power into defeating - well, attempting to defeat - one of the Empire's greatest enemies.

But this was not another day, so Lana resolutely ignored the relieved feelings bubbling up as she deactivated her lightsaber and began to summarize the situation.  

It was a strategic ceasefire, an alliance of convenience. Nothing more.


End file.
